5 comments about Walking the Camino de Santiago.

1. I had read elsewhere that the only thing to recommend this book was the fact that it was light. I have to agree. I would have been upset carrying any more weight especially as the info was often wrong. If one is able to read any other language there are much better books in almost every other language.I would suggest that the hiking section on Spain in the "Lonely Planet" is all one actually needs. As an aside, the comments on the local birds would not pass any children's needs. Example- they comment that we are now obviously nearing the coast as we now start seeing seagulls.The graphs for distance and elevation are not nearly as accurate or as detailed as those available for free at many of the hostels. The info is often so poor that I have serious doubt that the authors walked yhe Camino before writing the book. they definately did not spend many nights staying in any of the refugios.



2. This travel or walking guide to the "Camino de Santiago" represents the best of small publishers or self publishing. The author and her husband researched the area by walking the Camino several-times - developing good and valid information.
   
   Bethan did a good job on a "shoe string" {probably a broken shoe string} budget. As a small business owner I am impressed with Bethan's ability to develop a small business {in a foriegn country} and than to produce a good product/Book.
   
   As a treker and walker I also appreciate the small size and light weight of the book.



3. I have just returned from walking the Camino from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Finisterre, and I used this book as my travelguide. I know that only one star is a tough judgment, but this book has too many inaccurate kilometers, and too many failures about which cities who has/has not alberques (the places where you can overnight as a pilgrim). When you walk the Camino, you certainly need to have a very accurate guide with you, and therefore I can not recommend this out-dated one.



4. This book and duct tape is all you need for a successful pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago! I bought and studied many books before I left for Espana, but this is the one that stayed with me. (Others were dumped en route - poor utility-to-weight ratings.) This informative book however, was referred to frequently. I bonded with several other pelegrinas because we were carrying the same book. My secret to success? Before I left home, I carefully cut out all the pages that I didn't need. I removed the first half of the book because I started walking in Leon. Then I taped the rest of the book together with duct tape. OK, so I actually used clear packing tape ( a little lighter in weight and I could still enjoy the graphics on the front cover).
   I recommend this cleverly written and organized book - and don't forget the duct tape!



5. Although this guide is written for walkers, we also found it an excellent guide for cycling. The authors' evident enthusiasm for flora and fauna adds an enjoyable aspect to the excellent cultural descriptions and practical details. I would also recommend the slim book of maps "Camino de Santiago" by John Briarly for cyclists (and perhaps walkers as well).

2 comments about Top 10 Lisbon (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I gave this guide to my daughter and son-in-law who were staying in Lisbon for a week and they said it was indispensible. They used it for restaurants, sites, and shopping. She had brought other guides with her but none, she said, were as good as this one.



2. The map and metro sections are nice, but the publication lacks associated background information. While it does list the top 10's in different categories in fairly decent fashion, it lacks data tie ins for transportation and sight viewing decisions. Good, but not great.

4 comments about Streetwise Seville Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Seville, Spain - Folding pocket size travel map.

1. I Love these Streetwise maps! The are a durable plastic construction and compact, EASY to take and use anywhere, rain or shine! They are also very detailied and clearly laid out! I highly reccomend them! I have several!



2. Its great. Very handy, easy to open. Finally no more coffee stains while looking for a street. I do recommend this map to anybody. You always open it on the right spot.



3. I absolutely LOVE streewise maps! I bought the one for Paris for a trip this past January and it was so wonderful that I bought the Seville and Madrid maps for my trip in September. I even found them even more useful to mark all sites that you want to see on your trip with little stickers, so they are even easier to find! I even color-coordinated each day. haha
   I would recommend these maps for anyone travelling to a new city!



4. This is a nice map in terms of size, clarity, and convenience. But it is one of those maps where north is not at the top of the map. I find that when in a strange city, it is much easier to get a feel for where I am if the map is oriented with north at the top. You can turn the map so north is at the top, but then you can't read the names of the streets and major sights/landmarks. So, if you are like me and like north at the top from the get-go, then this map can be somewhat inconvenient. If not, then you will probably like this map a lot.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Portuguese Phrase Book and Dictionary.

1. This is a must have for travelers! We just spent a week in Albufeira at Praia da Oura and we took this book with us every time we left our resort room. Literally didn't leave home without it! Rick Steves tells you absolutely EVERYTHING, from how to tell the maid that those empty Fanta cans are not trash but souvenirs to telling the waiter/waitress that you have food allergies.
   
   What's really good about Rick Steves' books is that they have everything you need and nothing you don't. Everything I needed to know how to say, I was able to find in this handy little book. What I also really liked about Rick is as thorough as he is, he manages to inject some humor into his books to make sure you are paying attention (we had several good laughs while reading this book to pass the time in airports and on the train from Lisbon to Albufeira). Because you never know when it might come in handy to let your server know that you only eat insects and after that meal you may need to tell the taxi driver that if he doesn't slow down, you'll throw up. ;-)
   
   Happy travels!



2. Rick Steves' Portuguese Phrase Book & Dictionary allowed my husband and I to enjoy the paradise of the Azores islands without worrying about the language barrier. We were able to order from menus, find bathrooms, talk to our taxi drivers, and understand responses when we asked questions. Having the pronunciation, dictionary, phrases, and street signs sections of the book were great. He seemed to cover everything we needed. The humor made for some fun reads and we would consult the book whenever we had time to kill, just for fun. I highly recommend this one for travel to the Azores.



3. I am Portuguese and purchased this booklet,as a "jump start" reference for my daughters who don't speek the language, but want to go to go spend the summer in Portugal to learn it.
   The packaging is excelent. It fits perfectly in an average jacket pocket. I also believe that if you take a litle time to familiarize yourself with the layout of information you will find every phrase/word you will need. I just wish the author had used native Portuguese speekers to do the phonetic interpretation of the words for it is clear it was done as an English speeking person hears not a native Portuguese.
   If you are planing a tip to this country, this is a good resourse, but don't wory to much you will be fine; except for the older or or "non educated" population everyone speeks enouph English and will be eager to be of help. Have a fantastic time!



4. I recommend bringing a pocket dictionary with you. While this was entertaining (there are funny phrases interspersed) and gave a brief look into culture, when we needed certain words they were missing.
   
   Pronunciation guide was very helpful. Also helpful to have the full phrases so you can just show the book to someone and they understand what you are tying to say.
   
   The book notes that vegetarians will have a hard time finding options but we noticed quite a few sections marked "vegetarian" on menus.



5. "Voce e a minha melhor recordacao." Rick goes beyond taxis and menus to teach us to say "You are my most beautiful souvenir" (voh-say ay ah meen-yah mil-yor reh-kor-dah-sow[ng]) and other great lines.
   
   We also learn that "thank you" is "obrigado" (o-bri-gah-doo) when spoken by a male but "obrigada" (o-bri-gah-da) when spoken by a female. Most books just say "obrigado" and leave it at that.
   
   Format rivals content in helpfulness: type is plain, clean, black & white, well spaced; pages are easy to turn.
   
   Obrigada, Rick!

5 comments about Michelin Spain & Portugal Tourist & Motoring Atlas: Tourist and Motoring Atlas.

1. I have been a long-time fan of Michelin maps and guides. Their products are first-rate, and the detail has been the standard against which other maps are measured. Last year I traveled to New Zealand, an area for which Michelin does not have a map. I purchased what I felt was a good map, but it proved on the road to be lacking in detail, particularly when compared to the spiral-bound map of the country that my friend showed up with. His map had detail to make a map lover drool, and I knew that going forward I, too, would need to come up with a more detailed map to guide me. My wife and I were traveling to Spain, and so I purchased this latest version of the Michelin map with high hopes.
   
   The reality of my recent map experience, however, left us extremely disappointed. My wife and I are both good map navigators, and we often travel extemporaneously, which requires clear information to change routes on the fly. The size of the map on the printed page in this book seemed to invariably put cities either on the edge of the page, or right where the spiral binding was, forcing us to guesstimate which of the roads leading into town was correct. The fact that the book contains many city maps would seem to be a terrific aid. To our dismay we found these maps covered only a small central area, and neither the information necessary to get you from the highway into the city, nor the information to navigate around the city. Fortunately for us, we had a GPS to assist us, which helped considerably, and we used the maps in our guide books. Also, when in doubt as to how to get into town in Europte, follow signs to the Center.
   
   One big thing missing with a spiral bound map is the lack of the big picture. A fold-out map provides a full picture of a region or country, providing an overview for planning. For example, when I plan stops, I circle the cities on the map and then try to "connect the dots" to make the itinerary have a rational flow. Having concise areas on each page provides more detail than a folded map might, but not enough to make an appreciable difference if you need to see the big picture. We often struggled to make sense of which roads to take when we were traveling large chunks of the country.
   
   Perhaps some of Michelin's spiral maps are better than this one. As a map person, I found this map frustrating both for itinerary planning as well as while driving.



2. If you expect to be able to drive all over Spain with this atlas alone, you will be disappointed. I bought this primarily to help plan a driving trip across Northern Spain, and in conjunction with the GPS we got with our rental car, had virtually no trouble getting anywhere. There just isn't enough city detail. Word up: you should not plan to navigate to your hotel in Bilbao with anything less than directions from your hotel because even the GPS is useless there (too much construction).
   
   The pages are not particularly heavy or laminated, so this book is definitely for grownups - a certain delicacy is required when moving between maps so that you don't tear anything.
   
   All that said, I didn't tear any of the pages, I'm glad I bought it and would do it again.



3. This book is just okay.
   
   The thing I dislike is that the maps are very hard to read and the way they are annotated is very confusing.
   
   Fortunately, while in Spain, my friend who was doing all the driving had another map book in the car from which I was able to navigate.



4. Para quien quiera viajar por estas hermosas tierras este atlas es imperdible. Todo muy detallado y con una cuidada selección de mapas de las principles ciudades.
   El sistema de anillado lo hace muy práctico, siendo adicionalmente robusto.
   Mi próxima compra: Italia y Francia



5. Outside of Europe, it's hard to find up-to-date map books for Spain/Portugal. This one was published in 2009. The pages are clear and well organized, with plenty of detailed city maps. It may not be as good as a GPS, but it is a heck of a lot cheaper.
   
   One limitation of this atlas is that, on facing pages, the map splits awkwardly across the spiral binding. But then the same thing happens with bound books, so it is not a fault of the spiral binding. And a clear advantage of the spiral binding is that it opens completely flat, so there is no worry about cracking the spine.

5 comments about Streetwise Lisbon Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Lisbon, Portugal.

1. This "map" is actually made up of six (6) maps: One of Portugal; one of the "Lisbon Region"; one of the "Lisbon Area"; one of "Central Lisbon"; one of "Central Lisbon North"; and one of the Belem section of the city. The maps of the city are very detailed with, from what I can see, only the names of some small streets in the Alfama section being left out.
   
   Folded up, the map is 8.5" X 4". It folds out like an accordion to 8.5" X 32" with maps on both sides.
   
   The Index lists hotels, museums, parks/plazas, "places of interest", and shopping, but the "Street Index" lists "only" about 110 streets. Instead of the map of Portugal, they might have made better use of the space to have a more extensive street index, or maybe a more detailed map of Alfama. Also, although subway stops are identified on the Lisbon maps, they might have included a small subway map.



2. There are no better travel maps to the great world cities than these laminated City Maps. Last forever, fit in the coat pocket and easy to read. Worth every penny.



3. I first used one of these maps on a trip to London and I would never travel without one!!! I reused the same map two years later to see sites I missed on the first trip. I recently used one in Barcelona and it was indispensable!
   
   I have used one of these in Jerusalem, a very complex city, and it was a fantastic help! I have just purchased Madrid and Lisbon.



4. This map of Lisbon is easy to read, can be easily carried with you and is coated so it resists water spotting.



5. This is a very basic map of Lisbon and covers almost exclusively the downtown area (and Belem). During several days in Lisbon we only used it 1-2 times.
   
   Two main reasons for the 3 stars:
   
   - The map is very limited in geographic coverage and provides only a very basic idea of the city's transportation system;
   -- Better map options are available -- Lisbon tourist bureaus (http://www.askmelisboa.com/en) have far better (more detailed and larger) free maps of the city; those maps are available at most hotels as well as at askmelisboa kiosks throughout the city
   
   While other maps by Streetwise can be very helpful and comprehensive (such as the Streetwise Manhattan Map Streetwise Manhattan Map - Laminated City Street Map of Manhattan, New York - Folding pocket size travel map with subway map, bus map) this map is not of that standard.
   
   My suggestion - save your money and use the map in your guidebook for starters until you get a free local map once you are in Lisbon.

4 comments about Camino de Santiago Maps / Mapas / Cartes: St. Jean Pied de Port/Roncesvalles - Finisterre via Santiago de Compostela (Camino Guides).

1. This is a very handy and useful little booklet. For my three-week Camino experience I kept the booklet readily accessible in my outside pants pocket. I repeatedly referenced the booklet throughout the day. It's narrow size and the ability to bookmark the page with the flaps on the front and back covers made it easy to retrieve and reference using only one hand. The day-at-a-glance layout, with distance intervals and albergue locations clearly marked plus a profile illustration displaying the changes in altitude along the route make this a very useful reference source. As titled this is a book of maps, there is very little narrative dedicated to recommended sights to see along the way.



2. 
   We just traveled from Roncesvillas to Santiago by bicycle. This was an excellent set of maps that we consulted each day to plan and during the day to be sure that we were on the correct route. I only regret that I did not get the guide books that accompany the maps.



3. This book is small and light enough to fit in my backpack and provides individual colored-coded maps of each day's hike on the Camino Frances. Each map is accompanied by an elevation graphic for the day's hike. In addition, copious information is included about the terrain and populated areas through which the Camino passes. I expect to use this every day on my hike.



4. This is a very good book and a great buy. I bought this book in order to prepare myself for walking the Camino de Santiago next summer. In reading the book I already feel like in some strange way I have walked the Camino!!!

5 comments about Streetwise Madrid Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Madrid, Spain.

1. "Streetwise" city maps are great boon for the traveler. They're simple, durable and easily stowed in any pocket. The "Streetwise Map of Madrid" is no exception to this group of travel aids. I used it recently on visits to Madrid and found it to be perfect for getting around the city, including via the Metro system.



2. These maps are easy to carry and use. I always buy them for the cities I visit.



3. Excellent resource for finding ones way through the maze of streets that are Madrid. Would highly recommend this, even for the seasoned traveler! Points of interests are highlighted. Have used the Streetwise series of laminated maps on several trips and they are marvelous!!



4. Great map, even though GPS is now the way most people go...i just love an actual map to get the context.



5. This map was very helpful for navigating Madrid on foot and on the metro. It's fairly durable and easy to use.

5 comments about Streetwise Barcelona Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Barcelona, Spain.

1. This map was an ENORMOUS help. It is extremely detailed and literally notes EVERY street and alley in Barcelona. It would be impossible to get "lost" if you carry this map with you when exploring the city.



2. This was a very helpful & easy to use guide to Barcelona. Easy to pull out & view, sturdy. Great for using with the Metro.
   Ron
   Streetwise Barcelona Laminated City Center Street Map



3. Overall, great map. Nice and durable, good lamination. The mini metro map was great, as well as notations of rail lines, funicular lines, etc. Index to the streets was well done and very appreciated. My one complaint is that the map did not actually cover all of Barcelona. I'm not talking about "metro Barcelona," the towns comprising the around the city limits (but yet not actually Barcelona). I'm talking about the actual outer circles of Barcelona proper; the map excluded them, which was a problem for me at times.



4. I highly recommend this laminated map of Barcelona. I used it to go everywhere in the city. It includes a map of the Metro rail system and that will take you anywhere in the Barcelona metro area quickly. You need a map when you travel and this is that map. Enjoy Barcelona!



5. Convenient map for navigating Barcelona on foot. I particularly liked the included metro map. It was a little inconvenient that the map didn't extend a little bit to the northwest--had a little trouble finding the Parc Guell. Fairly durable.

4 comments about Rick Steves' Spain 2010 with map.

1. I just came from Spain and I got this book as one of 3 , I always take the books to the trip even the lagguage is
   very heavy but if you have a good travel book, it is priceless in your trip.
   One travel book of Northern Spain my husband and I used it every day for 2 weeks although we found out
   that it was 2 years old and that was a minus espessialy in restaurants.
   Rick Steves book I saved for the solo travel in Madrid and Toledo, it looked basic and not so heavy,
   it was easy to put in pocketbook.
   When I started to use it I was so upset with this book: very superficial, not so much depth in it,
   he surfaces most famous places in Spain, that is all, no surprise in it, nothing to find but already
   well known and not so much intelligence as well. I realized in TV travel show you can show the
   pretty photos and say couple of words, you do not need to be smart, just have a pleasant voice.
   The description of Prado was patetic, so as of cathedral guide in Toledo.
   This book was not for me, it did not give me anything that I needed know, I did not like the style of the book
   as well. I strongly recomend to look for something else before you just buy this one on the spot as I did.
   I will never will use his books for travel, it is decided for me. Good luck with your adventures!



2. It was very disapointing. We have always used Rick for our traveling (Rome, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Germany) but unfortunatly he let us down this time. We went to Barcelona for 4 days but I found it very difficult to plan using this book. He does a poor job of giving good distance references and very limited hotel options. Many of his recommended hotel's are on Ramblas which is not a very safe area to stay, especially at night. Also, there are quite a bit of resturant guides which seems a little "fishy". Barcelona is a huge city maybe it needs to be its own book.



3. Highly recommended. I used the Rick Steves guide for a recent trip to Spain and found it invaluable. It is clearly written, entertaining, concise, and up-to-date. When I tried using a second travel guide in Barcelona, although it had more restaurants and hotels listed, I found the information was not as complete or as current. The Rick Steves guide is particularly useful if you have one to three weeks to visit Spain and need to be selective about where to visit due to time constraints. This book does not include every single place in Spain. Instead, it covers what Rick Steves considers to be the highlights. I found that very helpful in planning the trip. If you plan to spend six weeks in this country, or need a comprehensive guide to every single area in Spain, you may want to use Amazon to "look inside" the book to see if it meets your needs. Personally, I'm very glad I took this Rick Steves guide with me to Spain.



4. Excellant advice. No too complicated but hits the high spots. Tells you why you should see or do something. Good uncomplicated maps.